The Taliban has ordered all beauty salons in Kabul to close by the end of July, eliminating vital spaces where Afghan women can work and gather. This ban impacts approximately 3,000 women-run salons and thousands more employees in the capital city.
Beauty salons represented one of the few professions and public spaces still available to women under Taliban rule. Girls are already banned from school past 6th grade and women are excluded from most jobs outside of teaching and healthcare. Parks, once a popular family activity, are now off-limits.
Women are reacting with panic and despair to the impending ban. “I’ve been crying since I heard the news. I am crying at my salon. All my assistants are crying,” said 38-year-old salon owner Samia Faqiri. “What will we do after this?”
Salons offered a rare opportunity for Afghan women to earn steady income supporting themselves and their families. With unemployment rampant, brides always need makeup services for weddings. Faqiri’s salon brought in around $700 per month and employed eight other women, many of whom were sole providers.
The Taliban justify the ban by claiming salon services like hair weaves and eyebrow plucking go against Sharia law. They also argue the high costs of bridal makeovers pressure Afghan men into debt.
However, the ban also aligns with Taliban opposition to women working outside the home. A deputy director at the Ministry of Public Works stated that 95% of Afghan men do not want women to be employed.
Salon owners like 22-year-old Yalda Hashimi now face limited options. “If they really do close these salons, we can’t stay here anymore,” she said. Many women plan to flee Afghanistan or commit suicide if unable to support their families.
